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Ford to Add Next-Gen Aluminum Alloy to 2016 F-150

Photo of F-150 hood made from Alcoa's Micromill material courtesy of Ford.

Ford is collaborating with Alcoa to develop a new aluminum alloy for the 2016 F-150 pickup that's more formable and design-friendly that the earlier material.

Ford will become the first automaker to use Alcoa's Micromill material that's 40 percent more formable than the material used in the 2015 F-150. Ford will begin using the material in the fourth quarter of 2015 on some components and transition additional parts to the new material in 2016.

Aluminum alloy produced using the Micromill process has already been validated by Ford engineers to ensure it meets the stringent requirements for producing high-quality parts, especially the kinds of complex structures that make up F-150, according to Ford.

"The door inner is one of the most difficult parts in automotive stamping," said Peter Friedman, global manager of structures and stamping in Ford's Research & Advanced Engineering unit. "The ability to produce an alloy using Alcoa's Micromill technology to make that part is a real statement for how this process can benefit the automotive industry and Ford in particular."

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